The Capital Region BOCES launched its OverDrive-powered collection this past spring, joining dozens of school districts throughout New York; the WSWHE BOCES was among the first groups in the country to launch an eBook-lending library for students, starting its digital collection in 2008. “We were one of the first adopters in America, and we’re continuing to grow the program,” says Paige Jaeger, Coordinator for School Library Services for WSWHE BOCES, which serves more than 42,500 K-12 students across 32 districts.

Throughout WSWHE BOCES, teachers are integrating eBooks into curriculums, and students are engaging with eBooks both in and out of school. “One of our districts bought MP3 players for the library to loan to the track team so they could listen to audiobooks while they run,” says Jaeger. “Many districts offer MP3 players for students with special education needs. Many of our schools have one-to-one iPad programs with the OverDrive app pre-installed. Some school libraries have purchased Nooks and Kindles and started eBook reading clubs. Students use the service outside of school for pleasure-reading purposes, and it’s helping us meet the New York State recommendations that students read 25 books a year.”